Tinkerbell and The Dark Fairies
by korobeiniki.koboi
Summary: When the first baby's first laugh broke into a million pieces, it made the first fairies. Light fairies, Garden Fairies, Frost Fairies, Wind Fairies, Tinkers, and even Dark Fairies. But after the great dragon Kyto attacked, the Dark Fairies were lost. Eons pass, and one Dark Fairy manages to find his way back, to be greeted by... Tinkerbell! What adventures will ensue? Find out!
1. Chapter 1- In Which We Meet Ru & Ug

Tinkerbell and The Dark Fairies

A great many eons ago, there lived two humans. Now, these humans were not like you or me, no. These humans were not quite done- a little unfinished. Endless generations had made them what they were, but they were not quite right. Nothing against them, you understand- they were perfectly wonderful almost-people. And they were in love. Back then, The world had no seasons, for they had not yet come to exist. There instead existed but one season, one season that was never quite warm or cold enough. It was a very confused, disorderly season and though I'm sure it tried it's best, it just couldn't get it quite right. The almost-humans didn't find it very pleasant at all, but as they had nothing to compare it to, they hardly realized it. But thankfully, that was about to change.

One day Ug walked out of his cave to go find some breakfast. It was a normal day- the trees to his left were exuberant in their reds and ambers, and the trees to his right seemed perfectly happy with their deep greens, with some indecisive ones scattered here and their who didn't seem able to decide what color they wanted their leaves to be. Over in the distance he could see some snow clouds competing with a disgruntled rainstorm over how much snow versus water to put down. Despite this, Ug was dressed in light clothes- he had a lot of hair on his mostly-exposed body, which would serve him well if a surprise snowstorm decided to hit. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the smells of the day before hurrying along. HIs mate was eating for two right now, and needed all the food she could get.

He returned early in the afternoon with a deer sling across his shoulder. "Ru!" He called, throwing the deer down upon the ground, "I've got food!"

"Wonderful! I'll be out in a second, dear- Ah!" her words were cut off by a surprised cry

"Ru!" cried Ug, running inside, "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

Inside, his wife stood unharmed, though she still looked surprised. "I'm sorry, love. It was just that dang raccoon again- it surprised me."

Ug heaved a great sigh of relief. "Better than one of those snow tigers! I was afraid something had snuck in while I was away!"

Ru gave her mate a look of displeasure. "Don't discount me just because I'm pregnant, Ug. I was just a good a hunter as you before this."

Ug gave her a rueful smile "I'm sorry, I can't help but worry, not when you're carrying our son."

"Now, Ug, you know as well as I that it has just as much of a chance of being a girl as a boy."

"I'm sure it's a boy. Don't forget, I'm always right."

"Oh really? What about that time you thought the rustling in the bushes was a wolf, only to rush in and tumble right down the side of a riverbed because you didn't bother to look where you were going? You scared the daylights out of that poor rabbit."

"I don't believe I remember that" said Ug, wincing

"Uh-huh. And what about the time you fell into your own trap because you forgot to mark it properly? Or time time you brought back itching plant for bedding? Or the time- Ah!" Ru doubled over, clutching her belly

"Ru! Are you okay? What is it now?" Ug hurried over and helped his mate lay down on their bed

"Of course not, you fool! The baby's coming!- Ow!" Her entire body stiffened as another contraction hit her.

"The baby! But- oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear-"

"Shut up you great buffoon and build up the fire! We;re gonna need warm water for thi-Ooowww!"

Ug jumped up, grabbed one of their clay pots, and rushed down to the stream nearby for water. Returning, he saw Ru was continuing to have contractions, screaming in pain every time one hit her. Setting the pot on the hot coals, he grabbed some wood and began to feed the fire back up to it's full force. Once that was done, he kneeled next to his wife and held her hand as she continued to give birth. Heaving a sigh, he settled in for one of the most harrowing experiences of his life.

A few hours (and one nearly-broken hand later) Ug sat with his wife as she cleaned off the new-born infant. "It's a girl" He said. For all his talk of a son, he was in love with the little creature already and was ecstatic that it had finally come.

Ru smiled wearily "Of course it is- I knew it would be, and you know I'm always right."

Ug smiled back and held her close, careful not to squeeze his newborn daughter. Looking down at her his expression grew slightly troubled "She looks… odd. Not in a bad way", he hurriedly amended when his wife glared at him, "She doesn't look like us, though. She looks… well, perfect is what I want to say."

Ru looked down at the tiny creature suckling on her chest. She could see what he meant- her forehead was different, more smooth and without the ridges that characterized their people, and the child was lacking the usual amount of hair. She would have to make sure that she kept her child warm if a snowstorm happened by. Still, she was a proud mother, and loved her child with a fierce intensity. Just then, the child stopped suckling, and looked up curiously at her new parents. Suddenly, a grin grew on her small face, and their child laughed for the first time.

But as soon as the sound left her lips, their was a great sound as if a thousand mirrors wet shattering into a million pieces, and the cave was suddenly filled with sparkling lights that swirled around the family before retreating out the cave entrance as if bourne upon a swift wind.

The new parents gaped at each other before staring down at their child, who was now cooing like a normal baby. Though neither parent new just what had happened, they knew in their hearts that it had been important, and magical.

As for the lights, they traveled over land and sea, following the second star to the right, till they were caught in the branches of the many trees that sat in a rather curious part of a rather spectacular land, where the seasons coexisted separately. There they stayed till the first light of the rising sun struck them, when they suddenly took form and became the fairies They were separated by their talents, of which there were a great many. All were important, but it soon became apparent that there were a great many more of certain talents, those whose lights had taken root in each of the four seasons.

Those who had first alighted in the land of cold and snow became the Winter fairies, who help the rivers freeze to just the right thickness for ice skating, and who crafted each snowflake into it's perfect individual form.

Those who landing in the land of new growth and blossoming flowers became Spring and Garden fairies, who help the first plants burst from the snow.

Those who landed in the land of amber leaves and harvest became Autumn fairies, who aid the plants in ripening and who turn the colors of the leaves that perfect shade of red and orange.

And those that arrived in the land of sunlight and warmth became Summer fairies, who help craft their season to be perfect for running and jumping and playing under the sun.

There were yet others, such as those whose lights absorbed the very first rays of the new sun as it crested the horizon, who became Light fairies, creators of rainbows and whose works enrich the other seasons, and the Tinkerers, who discovered a love of building and crafting and tinkering very quickly, making houses and carts and cups and jars and almost everything they could think of to make life a little bit easier for the other fairies.

There are many others, others whose talents are even more varied but no less important, and I'm sure you've heard of most of them, for they travel rear about everywhere in this spectacular land of ours, the fantastical land of Neverland. And though you will meet a great many of these fairies in our story, they are not the focus of it. For there was yet another tribe, yet another talent, though it has been mostly forgotten now. These were the Dark Fairies.

No, they are not mean or nasty fairies. They did not play pranks or trick people. They were those whose lights landed in deep holes or in the hollows of trees, where the light of the sun did not reach them. However, that night a great wind blew through the fairy kingdom, gathering them up and throwing them into the brilliant rays of the moon. They were responsible for waking those animals that walked the night, and for helping those elusive flowers that only bloom at night and whose petals glow with a pale, gentle light. They also delighted in making moonbows, rainbows that shine silver and gleam with the brilliance of the stars.

Now, for some years they all lived in peace and there was much happiness, until the day that that first human child (now a beautiful young lady) had her heart broken for the very first time. Her sob traveled the same long route to Neverland, and though thankfully it did not land in Pixie Hollow, It still took form and became Kyto, The Great Evil Dragon of Neverland. Kyto, born angry and vengeful, rampaged for a great many years before being eventually trapped by Peter pan and The Lost Boys, with help from a Fairy Queen.

Still, it was a day of great sadness when he first crested the mountain and attacked. The fairies, caught unaware, fled in fear to a safe distance and hid, only returning after seeing the great wyrm departing. The forests were in terrible shape, though thankfully the Pixie Dust Tree survived with minimal damage, it's ancient trunk oddly impervious to the dragon's flames. The greatest tragedy was not discovered until night came and went without the spectacular moon bows and beautiful night flowers. The next morning, the fairies went to check on the dark fairies and were horrified to discover the truth: The dark fairies, being nocturnal, had not woken up when the dragon came calling, and the overhanging cliff that housed their sleeping quarters had been sheared off by the dragon's rage, plummeting into a deep crevice. The fairies, believing their friends to be dead (for who could survive such a fall?) left, weeping bitterly. That night, as they toasted to their friends, there was much talk of sending search parties down into the depths to search for survivors. This idea was greater enthusiastically, and a group of the hardiest fairies were given large pouches of fairy dust to ensure they could make the the trip, and even bring back some of the lost fairies with them. It was not to be.

Early the next day, the rescue party set out for the crevice, with most of the fairy kingdom flying behind to offer encouragement. Cheer soon turned to dismay and terror, as Kyto once again swooped over the fairy kingdom, landing on what remained of the cliff. As the fairies screamed and fled, the dragon let loose a torrent of fire, catching some of the reuse team as they fled. Their charred bodies fell into the crevice, but the pressure of Kyto's already gargantuan body caused what was left of the cliff to crumble, and the dragon tumbled down along with a great flood of boulders and rocks. While this did not kill him, it did wound him, and he left crying out in rage and pain. While Kyto would not trouble the fairies again for a great number of years, his second attack took the last hope the fairies had of rescuing their comrades from the crevice- the rocks of the cliff had plugged the entrance like a cork in a bottle, and no fairy could find a path to the bottom. Eventually the fairies gave up, and a great vigil was held at the crevice.

As time went on the fairies set about putting the seasons in proper order, and the humans and almost-humans found it a great improvement. They grew used to the routine of planting and harvesting and playing and even grew to love the cold of winter. More children were born and laughed, and more fairies arrived in Pixie Hollow, tales of the Dark Fairies became legend, and legend became myth, until many fairies barely believed the dark fairies had ever existed. With only that first laugh of laughs having the magic required to interact with the moon and elements no new dark fairies could be made, and without a representative to help with the Talent Choosing no one was found to carry on their legacy.

Eons passed, and much laughter and joy where had amongst the fairies, and love and adventure where found by all. Especially by one particular fairy, and her friends. I'm sure you've heard of her, that particular Tinkerer known as Tinkerbell. This is the story of one of her adventures, and how the Dark Fairies returned to live in Pixie Hollow.


	2. Chapter 2- In Which We Meet Pitch

It was dark. Then again, it was always dark where Pitch lived, so he was quite used to it. He could see in it just as well as you or me see in daylight, and was quite adept at keeping his wings from being scraped or torn on the stalactites that hung down from the ceiling. He usually kept them in a specially crafted sleeve made from root bark, the same material they made their clothes from. However, today was not a usual day. Today was the day he'd been saving for since first hearing old Gloom tell the ancient stories of the above world, a world where the ceiling went on and on and on until you couldn't even see the end of it, where a great light hung above you, it's gentle beams illuminating the world with a pale silver light. The older fairies had scoffed at these tales, but Pitch was unusually curious and adventurous even for a fairy, and had immediately set about planning to journey to this world. Only one problem stood in his way- No one knew how to get there.

So, he started exploring the cracks in the earth, finding hidden caverns and discovering deposits of precious metals that his people could use along with the glowing crystals that they used sometimes to illuminate their cities (though they could see just fine in the dark, even they found it a bit gloomy sometimes). He dutifully reported these findings to his boss, Fairy Barry, the leader of the mining fairies. Barry, while unsure why Pitch was so interested in exploration, nevertheless recognized his hobby as a great boon and made him the first Explorer, for which he got a weekly stipend of gold. Down in the depths, resources were scarce, so King Nyx had decreed that goods must be bought or bartered for. The most expensive item by far was Pixie Dust, the rarest thing to be found in all Underhollow. It was rumored that a tree had been found deep underground many years ago that actually spouted the stuff, but it had dried up quickly and with no way to repair it, it had been left alone since. Pitch also got a bonus for discovering deposits or glow crystals of adequate size.

One day, Pitch was out exploring a cavern system that had taken him in a strange but hopeful direction- it was taking him _up_. Sure, the slope was gradual, but the going was easy- the floor and walls were smooth, and before long Pitch realized he was traveling on the bed of an ancient underground river. Energized, he continued on and eventually came to a stark wall, the top of which was bathed in darkness that even his eyes could not see. Curious, Pitch used his hammer and chisel to break off a chunk of the flowstone he carried with him. Grabbing his slingshot (a wonderful deterrent against cave bats and other such unfriendlies) and drawing the sling all the way back to his ear, he shot the chunk as high as he could. Up an up it traveled, until Pitch could make out the cavern roof, where grand stalactites hung, mirroring the stalagmites the spiked from the ground around him. But that wasn't what made Pitch catch his breath and stare with mouth agape. Sure, the stalactites were impressive, but he'd seen bigger. Sure, the chunk revealed a great vein of never-silver on the side of the wall that he'd missed, but he'd found it before, and in greater quantitiy. No, what had filled him with such awe was the fact that the chunk arched at the last minute, and had landed on the top of a cliff at the top of the cavern. From the glow cast by the stone, he could see that it was a continuation of the tunnel he'd been following. As he packed up his slingshot and chisel again, he thought to himself. He could not fly to the top without pixie dust, so he'd have to return another day. Still pondering, he turned and went home.

Later, when the Great glow stone was covered by the time-keepers, marking the end of the "day's" work, he lay down in his bed and tried to sleep. But sleep would not come. His mind hung on to the image of the glow at the top of the well, and suddenly he sat up in bed. _Of course! _he thought to himself _If the water carved a tunnel that i could follow up to there, then it must have carved a tunnel leading onward! Possibly even to the above world…_ He lay back down. Reaching the top of the well would mean flying. That meant he needed pixie dust. He was careful with his finances, but even with the stipends and bonuses he'd gotten, he wasn't even close to the gold needed to buy pixie dust. He'd have to save up for ages, and there was no guarantee that that tunnel up there lead to the above world. But he had to try. He just had to.

That had been a year ago, and he'd finally saved enough for a jar of pixie dust. The store clerk had looked surprised when he'd asked for it, but had taken his money and handed him a small jar of glowing dust. It's glow was so bright it originally hurt his eyes, but after a few minutes he adjusted. All that was left was to pack…and depart. He looked around his house for the last time. The walls had been scraped to smoothness, and shelves were dug into the walls where Pitch usually kept his treasures, jewels or odd pieces of rock he'd found in his travels. Now, he'd packed the most precious of them In his pack with some food and a small clay jar of water- who knows what the above world was like? He'd also brought a bedroll for sleeping. He sighed. Even though (or perhaps because) he was about to embark on a journey he'd always wanted to undertake, he was a little scared. If he succeeded, it was possible he'd never return here. He'd leave behind everything he'd ever known, everyone he'd ever known. Gloom, the old storyteller, older even than King Nyx, Shadow and Shade, Twins and the only ones who'd ever gone with him on his explorations, even Luna…

"Now what are you up to this time?" said a voice behind him

Pitch turned around. Standing in the doorway was a rather fetching fairy. She was a little shorter than him, with long black hair tucked behind pointed ears and dark blue eyes overshadowed by long lashes. She wore a root bark tunic decorated with small glowstones on it's hem. Her wings were smoky black, like his, though hers were more slender and elongated. "Hey Luna," said Pitch, "I was just thinking about you."

She smiled at him. "I'll bet you were. Now where are you off to with that big pack?"

She looked around and a worried look crossed her face "Pitch… you're packing. Why are you packing? You're not off on that fool's errand adventure you've been talking about, are you?"

Pitch scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "Well, yeah. I finally got the last thing I needed and I'm heading out now. Please don't be upset with me, Luna. I have to do this."

"You have to do this?" Her voice was dangerously soft.

"Yes, Luna."

She looked him in the eyes. Her already dark eyes had darkened further- they looked almost black now. "You _have _to do this? Leave us all behind?"

"Uh…"

"You _have_ to leave us? What about Shade? Or Shadow? You're the only one who can get them to step in line when they're getting in trouble? What about Gloom? Who'll bring him snacks and pester him to tell stories? You know you're the only one who visits him on a regular basis! And what about Fairy Barry? What about _me_?" Her voice cracked and faltered

Pitch looked up from the floor. Luna's hair covered her face now, dislodged by her tirade. Though she wasn't making any sound, her shoulders were shaking, and his heart clenched with guilt. He knew he'd be hurting his friends by leaving, but he had to go. He'd regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't… and fairies could live for a very long time. Still, he couldn't stand seeing Luna like this… "Luna," he started, reach a hand out for his friend

"Don't, Pitch." Luna once again stared him down, "Just don't."

And with that, she turned and ran out.

Pitch sat down on his bed and rubbed his eyed. "Second star above… what am I supposed to do?"

He lay back and sighed as he stared at the ceiling. "'Nothing to do, Nowhere to go but forward.'" he quoted an old Dark Fairy saying.

"Nowhere to go but up." He added his bit to end it, and with that was decided.

It would hurt his friends to leave, and it would hurt him too. But he knew he had to go. The regret would kill him if he didn't. He'd decided not to say goodbye because he was afraid he wouldn't have to courage to leave otherwise. But he had no choice. He'd made his decision long ago, and now the time had come.

With another sigh he cast away his doubts and gathered the last of his items, stuffing them into his pack and slinging it over his shoulder, hoping it wasn't too heavy. Too much weight on one side might unbalance him in mid-air, which could be bad. Setting his shoulders, he stood tall and walked out of his house, closing the door for the last time.

TIme to go.

He headed to the edge of town towards the entrance to the caves. From there he could find the well, and from there… Well, who knows what he would find? Hopefully, a tunnel leading out to the above world. More likely, a collapsed tunnel with no way back. Still he was determined to see this through. However, a surprise waited for him as he neared the edge of town. His friends, waiting for him. Shadow and Shade, nearly identical, Old Gloom, making a rare appearance outside of his library, even Fairy Barry was there, towering above the rest, his large muscles straining against his sleeveless shirt, arms covered in dirt from the day's work. "Uh… hey guys." Pitch said nervously.

"What this I hear about you heading off on some tom-fool adventure to the above world?" Barry said in his deep baritone

"Wha- How'd you hear about it? What are all of you doing here?"

Shadow and Shade rolled their eyes "Gee, I wonder how we knew," Started Shade

"Yeah, considering that you were dumb enough to make Luna cry and then be even dumber to let her run away without saying sorry." finished Shadow.

Pitch looked down dejectedly. "I didn't mean to make her cry…"

"Well you did, you idiot boy! Now, we cannot in good faith let you leave without saying sorry… Or saying goodbye." Remarked Gloom.

Pitch looked up in surprise "You mean you all aren't here to try and stop me from going?"

Barry laughed, his laugh booming deep in his chest. "Stop you? Kid, I learned long ago that stopping you is near impossible! We'd have to tie you to your bed to do that!"

"Yeah, and even then you'd probably chew your arm off and go do it anyways!" Said Shade with a laugh.

Pitch grinned in spite of himself. They knew him well.

"Now, the first thing you have to do is say sorry to young Luna!" grumped Gloom, leaning on his cane.

"Alright, you're right. I should say sorry. Do you know where she is?" Pitch asked

"Right behind you." said Luna

Pitch spin around and there, standing behind him, was Luna. Her eyes were still a little red from crying, but she no longer looked angry. "Luna, I'm so sorry I have to leave you all, but I have to do this. I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't"

Luna sniffed and nodded. "I know. I know you, Pitch. Near about better than anyone. I just wish you didn't have to do this." Tears began to roll down her cheeks again.

Pitch walked over and folded her in his arms, and she grabbed ahold of him, crying silently into his shirt. "I'll be okay, Luna. Remember what Gloom likes to say. Nowhere to go but forward."

She nodded, and slowly her tears subsided. She stepped back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You better not come back empty handed, Pitch. I'll kick your butt up between your pointed ears if you do."

Pitch smiled and nodded, "Stop playing it down, Luna. We know you'll do far worse than that." He joked

She gave him a watery chuckle and hugged him again. "And don't you forget it."

"Well, this is sweeter than centipedes in love, but you still have to say goodbye to us!" Drawled Shadow

"Yeah! And remember to bring us presents if you ever make it back!" remarked Shade

"Oh, yeah! Something like food! Or girlfriends!" said Shadow excitedly

"Something wrong with the girls down here, Shadow?" Asked Luna with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh… no Luna, whatever gave you that idea?" replied Shadow nervously

"Aw, don't mind him, Luna. You know he's not the brightest glowstone in the rock." Shade said, nudging his brother

Luna rolled her eyes. "I'd say you two are equal, really."

As the brothers protested, the rest of them laughed. Pitch said his goodbyes to Barry and the twins, then turned to Gloom. "Thanks Gloom. If it weren't for your stories, I wouldn't be doing this."

"Hmph. Well, I wish you luck all the same. And I have a farewell present for you- this book is about the Dark Fairies when we lived on the surface. It should prove invaluable to you. Read it cover to cover. And when you get back, I'll expect you to tell me how well it measured up!" Gloom fixed him with one dark eye

"Yes sir!"

Gloom granted him a rare smile and leaned on his cane. "Well, that's the best I can do for you. Good luck, Pitch."

Pitched smiled back. "Thanks, Gloom."

He turned to his friends and gave them a smile too "Really, thanks everyone. I promise to come back one day and tell you about everything I've seen!"

"You better!" said Shade and Shadow

"Good luck, Boy!" Boomed Barry, waving goodbye as Pitch started walking down the path to the caves

"Pitch!" Yelled Luna, "You better not forget about me, you hear that! You better not forget about any of us!"

"Fat chance of that!" Pitch called back

He gave them one final wave, then continued walking down into the caves

They watched him as he started down the hill, then he was gone.

He walked for several hours, stopping once for some food and water. He tried to converse as much as possible- who knew how far he would have to go before he reached his goal. Finally, he reached the first hurdle on his journey- the well. Bringing out the Pixie dust, he sprinkled some on himself. The glow that arose was nearly blinding, but he felt his wings like he'd never before- they started to flap, then flutter, and before he new it he was surging like a rocket up the well. He saw the ridge get closer, and closer, then the feeling stopped abruptly. His wings kept on flapping, but he knew the pixie dust had just run out. His body slowed, and before he could fall he grabbed hold of the side of the cliff and held on for dear life. He looked above him- there was the ledge, just a few inches away (You must realize that a few inches is quite a bit farther for a fairy than it is for you and me). He looked around for a handhold and grabbed hold, but the rock was loose and it pulled out, and for a second he felt sure he was going to fall. But he held on with his other hand, and the rock proved solid. He hung there for a minute, just catching his breath. Then he looked around again. Finding a handhold that looked more solid, he grabbed it and tested his weight. It held.

It took him a good ten minutes to reach the top, and he had a few more close shaves, but in the end he stood at the top with nothing worse than a few bruises. He took a few minutes to rest and refuel, then looked around for the chunk of flowstone. Sure enough, there it was, it's pale green glow still as steady as ever. He walked over and grabbed it, bouncing it in his hand a few times before hold it out towards the darkness behind the ledge. Sure enough, the murk pulled away to reveal the walls and roof of a tunnel, stretching out into the darkness. Grabbing his pack, he set his shoulders and headed along the path, curving slightly upward into mystery.

He was on his way.


	3. Chapter 3- In Which We Meet Nox & Murk

Pitch continued down the tunnel, holding the glow stone out in front of him. While Dark Fairy eyes needed much less light to see by, there was no light in this place at all. His eyes darted all around him, and his pointed ears twitched occasionally as he strained to hear any sound. The areas of Underhollow inhabited by fairies were safe from animals and bugs that might cause trouble, but Pitch had learned very quickly that was not the case in the unexplored areas, and getting caught unawares by a millipede or cave rat would end his journey really quickly unless he was lucky. Still, he could not hear anything besides the sound of his own breathing, and since the tunnel wasn't big enough to offer housing for a bat colony, he figured he was relatively safe. He continued on in this manner for several hours before stopping for dinner. He had traveled quite a distance already, and had no doubt that he was going to have to travel much farther to get to where he wanted to be. He'd packed enough food for a week, but was getting tired. He had slept in cave systems before, many times, but it was different this time. He sighed, and dusted the crumbs of his meal off his hands before shouldering his pack and heading out. Along the way, he amused himself by humming old fairy tunes.

"And the pixie flew to the moon, and slept on a star, and wondered why no one had ever flown so far. No, no one had ever flown so far.

And when the moon set, she slipped right off the side, and if it weren't for the owl that below her flied, she most assuredly would have died

Yes, oh yes she most assured would have died…"

He trailed off, noticing a faint glow coming from the tunnel ahead. He put the glow stone away, and cautiously crept down the tunnel till he saw that it opened into a large cavern. He slowly unslung his pack, took out his slingshot and fit a pebble into it's sling before creeping down into the cave. What he saw made him gasp and stare.

It was a vein of glowstone, and the glowing rock peeked out of the matrix of granite thousands of times, letting pinpricks of glowing light dot the ceiling. It was like a river of light, and it made him feel incredibly peaceful. _This must be what stars are like_, he thought to himself. Suddenly, he yawned and realized he should probably go to sleep. He looked around, and found a nice overhang that he could curl up in and be safe from discovery while he was sleeping. He threw his pack down on the ground and undid the ties that held his bedroll, a thick heavy thing that enveloped it's occupant and could be tied shut. Inside, his scent would be smothered, he would be warm, and in the event of a cave rat investigating, it's thick fibers would save him from getting a chunk taken out of him before he could do something about it. He shoved his pack in the back of the overhang and set out the bedroll before lying down inside of it. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come.

His sleep was disturbed by the sound of fluttering wings and wind. "Careful, now. Don't want to damage the precious cargo, now does we?" said a snide voice that Pitch immediately disliked.

Curious, Pitch slowly poked his head out the top of his bedroll to see who was talking. He should be the only fairy to come this close to the surface in millennia. "Don't worry, Boss. We're taking good care of the wee babe." said another voice

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Pitch saw the speakers. Four dark fairies flew in formation, the last one with his hand clenched around the stem of a strange plant. It seemed to be a seed pod of some kind, with a burst of white fluff at the end. Despite his words, the fairy holding it did not seem to be taking much care with the pod. The leader seemed to notice this and, with a snarl, turned around and cuffed the other fairy on the side of the head. "I'm serious, lackwit! That's more than a dandelion pod, that's a new member of the dark fairies. If Nyx caught you treating a newborn like that, he'd have your wings!"

The other fairy rubbed his head and nodded, "I know that, Nox. Y'didn't have to hit me like ya did."

"It seemed like the only way to make your ears work, Murk." Nox snarled

The other two chuckled, and Nox whirled around to face them, "You two want some of this?"

"No, boss!"

"No sir!"

"Good! Now, let's get going. I hate this place- reminds me of the surface." Nox flew back to the head of the formation and the group flew out of sight.

_Now that was odd_, thought Pitch. _How could a dandelion pod be a newborn fairy?_

Nothing was known as to how Dark Fairies came to be. Old Gloom might know, but Pitch had never thought to ask him. Every once and a while, King Nyx would find a poor soul trapped in the rubble behind his palace, where it was said the ruins of the old dark fairy town lay. He would nurse them back to health before leaving them in the care of one of the Fairy bosses. Pitch could remember meeting Barry for the first time- intimidated by the mine boss's huge size, he'd been rather quiet. Barry had noticed and started laughing, "Jeez, boy! You're acting like I'm going to drop you down a mineshaft and leave you for the millipedes! Relax! Down here, your job is your life, and your co-workers are family! We take care of each other."

Now it looked like there might be more to it than that. But there was nothing he could do about it right now. Right now he had to get to the surface.

Sleep was out of the question after that. It was time to continue on.

"Okay…" said Pitch, drawing the word out, "This is going to be a challenge."

In front of him was an enormous rock pile. Boulders and huge slabs of rock lay piled in a precarious jumble towering up and up. He'd traveled for a few days, following the tunnel where we'd seen the other fairies come out of, before reaching this. Still, it was only one more obstacle, and with a sigh Pitch began to climb. It was tough going- he had to plan carefully so that he would not end up perched on a rock with no way forward. Several times he nearly fell as the rocks he set his weight on proved unstable, but he continued on. Several hours later, he was around halfway up. He stopped for a minute to eat his lunch. He'd thought he'd packed enough for a week, but he'd underestimated how difficult the going was going to be, and twice he'd caught underground insects feeding on his stores. As a result, he was running low. He figured he had enough for another day, then he'd be out. He packed up and started tackling the pile once again.

He'd nearly reached the top when he realized that he was getting near the roof of the cavern. He could see no pathway continuing from there. Disheartened, he sat down in a hut, his feet dangling over the side of the rock he was on. He stared down at the pile dejectedly. He'd come so far, for nothing, and he didn't have near enough food to make it back. He was going to die down here. He looked up at the lights above him, and stared at them in silence. Peace began to fill him. _Well, there are worse places. At least I got to see this._ He thought. Suddenly he felt rather silly. What was he doing? He'd come this far- maybe there was a way forward that he hadn't seen yet.

Feeling a little better, he began to lever himself back to his feet when suddenly the boulder he was sitting on began to shift. He instantly froze. The boulder halted. A bead of sweat ran down his temple as he tried to stay as still as he could. _Well, that's just perfect._ Moving as carefully as he could, he got to his feet. The boulder shifted a bit more, but other than that it stayed put. He looked around and saw another boulder he could reach- and it didn't look like it would topple if this one did. As carefully as he could, he bunched his feet underneath him and sprang for the rock. He didn't quite make it, but he was able to catch the edge under his armpits and hold on as the boulder he had just been on broke loose from it's moorings and began to tumble down the pile with a great cacophony of sound. Grunting from the effort, Pitch was able to swing his body up onto the boulder, where he sat for a minute gulping air. His body rushed with adrenaline, and for a second he felt rather light headed. _Nothing like a near-death experience to make you feel alive_, he reflected.

All of a sudden there was a great noise of stone grinding on stone, and his world tilted as the boulder he'd been resting on began to slide and topple. He rushed to his feet and looked around, hoping desperately for somewhere to be safe, but to no avail as the boulder toppled, throwing him into open air. At the last second, he saw a ledge, and thrust out his hand to catch it. His arm screamed in protest as it was nearly wrenched from it's socket, but he held on. Hearing more noise, he looked up and saw that the top of the pile was beginning to shift. "You've got to be kidding me!" he screamed as boulder began to hurtle towards him.

Moving faster than he'd ever done in his life, Pitch clambered onto the ledge and ran towards the back, barely noticing that the ledge actually had concealed a tunnel leading onward into darkness. He threw himself into it's depths in the nick of time, as rocks began to pummel when he had just been standing. Pitch was crawling as fast as he could out of the way when an incredible noise sounded behind him as a huge slab of rock sheared off the ledge, throwing rock chunks in all directions. Pitch cried out in pain as rocks hit his body, a cry that was cut off as a rock clocked him in the back of the head.

His vision swam, then darkness overtook him and he knew no more...


End file.
